LI GOP likely to put Cox over the top for state chair

Daily Point

Encore looms for LI’s Cox

The chairmanship of the New York State Republican Committee appears to be moving back toward the hands of mild-mannered Westhampton native Ed Cox, who previously served in the job between 2009 and 2019, when Erie County’s Nick Langworthy challenged and unseated him.

With Langworthy having moved on to Congress, Long Island is playing a key role in efforts to reinstall Cox, the 76-year-old husband of the late President Richard Nixon’s daughter Tricia Nixon Cox. The Nassau and Suffolk GOP organizations combined will have about one-fourth of the weighted delegate vote when the state party convenes March 13. Both counties’ Republican chairs on Friday afternoon jointly announced their support for Cox, promising a “steady hand,” helping establish the “long-term leadership necessary to sustain and grow our party.”

Two knowledgeable Long Island GOP sources told The Point that Cox’s support derives from considerations other than ideology or where he may tilt in the 2024 presidential primaries, in which internally controversial former President Donald Trump says he’s running. “It’s primarily about bringing stability to the Republican Party in the next few years,” said one of the sources, adding, “This should put Ed above 60%” of the weighted vote.

The statement was released by Suffolk Chairman Jesse Garcia and Nassau Chairman Joe Cairo. Another name on the joint Nassau-Suffolk release is that of Ontario County Republican chair Trisha Turner, who is also the upstate vice chair of the state committee. Garcia is currently the downstate vice chair.

But now, 10 days before the vote, Langworthy’s key GOP stomping grounds of Erie County, which includes Buffalo, is already committed to promoting Assemb. Chris Tague, a populist former dairy farmer and stone laborer from Schoharie County. Tague was quoted on Friday as saying he was “a little shocked” by Cox’s decision after much back-and-forth statewide and that while he respects Cox, “really, it’s time to move on.”

Some other upstate and western New York Republicans have made similar remarks. The upstate-versus-Long Island tension is an old dynamic in the party. Meanwhile, Westchester and Rockland Republicans are reportedly supporting Cox. Notably, Long Island’s Garcia and Cairo stood by Cox in 2019 when Langworthy challenged him for the chairmanship.

A longtime New York City-based conservative political activist told The Point that Cox’s proven fundraising ability is key.

One big player in GOP fundraising going forward is billionaire John Catsimatidis who acquired the WABC radio station four years ago and hosts on-air shows. His daughter, Andrea Catsimatidis, has chaired the Manhattan Republican Party since 2017. She was married to Cox’s son Chris until 2014 when the two divorced, but the fathers remain close allies, sources said.

How to expand statewide the recent downstate gains by New York Republicans is, of course, a subject of internal discussion.

— Dan Janison @Danjanison

Pencil Point

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Final Point

What Ed Romaine really wanted to say to Kathy Hochul

When Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine first heard about Gov. Kathy Hochul’s “housing compact,” he said he chose to reserve judgment until he learned more.

Not anymore.

“The more I find out, the more disturbing it is,” Romaine told The Point Friday. "It seems she did not do her homework and she rushed into this."

Romaine, who is running for Suffolk County executive, participated in a meeting with Hochul and all 10 Suffolk town supervisors on Thursday. The meeting, he said, wasn’t as productive as he hoped, in part because Hochul spent time trying to “sell” the plan, rather than seeking new ideas.

“What I wish is that she would have said, ‘I understand the rollout wasn’t as good as it should have been, I understand some people are misinterpreting what I’m trying to do, tell me how I can help you to achieve these goals,' ” Romaine said. “That’s what she should have said — and then we would have told her.”

And what would Romaine have told her?

“I would say, ‘Governor, you’re being misled by your housing people. This is the wrong way to do it. If you want to accomplish something there are people in this room who want to help you. Not everybody wants to fight. I believe in getting things done and working with people … I have locations, I can help you, I need sewers and I need infrastructure. Tell me what your goals are, and I’ll tell you how to achieve it,’ ” Romaine said.

Romaine said he thought the mandates built into the housing plan were particularly problematic. And he noted that those mandates, combined with the way the plan was initially presented, may have paved the way for strong opposition and backlash. He also said he wanted to see a larger emphasis on affordable housing, which, he said, is the greatest need.

“Most of my colleagues, Democrat or Republican, want to do something for housing, particularly affordable housing. We know we have to do that or we’re going to lose a whole part of our community,” Romaine said. “I believe we need to produce more affordable housing but that means state subsidies.”

Romaine noted that while “common problems” extend beyond town and county borders, the solutions should be more specific. Brookhaven, he said, has specific sites available for affordable housing, but the town needs sewers and state assistance to move forward.

“Don’t come up with programs that don’t solve problems but create more problems,” Romaine said. “We are not a one-size-fits-all county.”

Romaine said there are things he and the governor can do together and that he still wants to have further conversations with Hochul.

“I can’t support what she rolled out,” Romaine said. “I can support sitting with her and working out the details for a different type of approach. Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity.”

— Randi F. Marshall @RandiMarshall